# Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life - Hardcover

by **Jerry Pinkney** (Author)

**An inspiring memoir of a Caldecott-winning artist and one of the most acclaimed children's book illustrators of all time, sharing the story of** **a young artist who finds the courage to follow his passion against all odds.**

**\* "A moving work from a legend of children's literature and a testament to his legacy of visual storytelling." --_Kirkus Reviews_, starred review**

Jerry Pinkney--creator of Caldecott Medal-winning _The Lion & the Mouse_ and _The Little Mermaid_\--drew everywhere, all the time. Since childhood, it was how he made sense of the world--how he coped with the stress of being a sensitive child growing up in crowded spaces, struggling with a learning disability, in a time when the segregation of Black Americans was the norm. Only drawing could offer him a sense of calm, control, and confidence. When friends and siblings teased him about having the nickname "Jerry" as his only name, his mother always said, "Just 'Jerry' is enough. He'll make something of that name someday." And so he did, eventually becoming one of the most celebrated children's book illustrators of all time and paving the way for countless other Black artists.

Jerry's vivid recollections and lively sketchbook drawings of his youth in postwar America tell an inspiring story of how a hardworking boy pursued his passion in less-than-ideal circumstances and became a legendary artist against all odds.

### Author Biography

**Jerry Pinkney** (1939-2021) was one of the most heralded children's book illustrators of all time and illustrated more than 100 books. He had the rare distinction of being the recipient of five Caldecott Honors and the winner of the 2010 Caldecott Medal for _The Lion and the Mouse_, and created several companion books: _The Tortoise & the Hare_, _The Grasshopper & the Ants_, _The Three Billy Goats Gruff_, and _The Little Mermaid_. He won the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award five times and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor four times. Jerry received several major lifetime achievement awards and was also the first children's book illustrator elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He lived with his wife, author Gloria Jean Pinkney, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

**Number of Pages:** 160

**Dimensions:** 0.8 x 8.8 x 6.9 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** January 17, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 18.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 18.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life - Hardcover

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